We are used to discovering some unusual things among the collections of unrecorded artefacts at Summerlee Museum, but recently something very unexpected came to light: part of a Boulton and Watt beam engine from Glasgow's Kelvingrove Park.
Before the present Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery was built, the now-demolished Kelvingrove House served as a museum. The biggest exhibit there was a Boulton and Watt rotative beam engine displayed outside in the park. In those days the citys industrial collection was kept primarily for the education of engineering students and exhibits were sometimes disposed of when there was no longer a use or space for them. This was the fate of all of the Watt engine, or so it had seemed.
At Summerlee Museum we are currently working to identify and record a quantity of machinery which has been kept in storage for 20 or 25 years and much of which is not catalogued. We are fortunate to have the assistance of former engineer Daniel Mackay MBE, our Monument Fellow employed by the Museums Association and funded by the Esme Fairbairn Foundation.
Dan spotted near the tramshed a large cast iron connecting rod. At one end were forged straps and bolts for attachment to a wooden beam, marking this out as part of an early beam engine. He speculated that this might belong to the lost Kelvingrove engine. The con rod was perhaps mixed up with the parts of a later double beam engine that came to Summerlee on loan from Glasgow Museums in 1987. A comparison with an archive photograph of the Watt engine supported his suggestion: an area of damage to one side of the rod is visible in the photo in exactly the same location.
Glasgow Museums were very interested to hear of the find; I wonder what will turn up tomorrow!
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